


Sanctuary!

by HorrorHobbit



Category: Metropolis (1927)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 07:30:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16081400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HorrorHobbit/pseuds/HorrorHobbit
Summary: Some imagined dialogue to the finale of Metropolis, during Rotwang's pursuit of Maria through the cathedral, and his final battle with Freder on the rooftops.





	Sanctuary!

**Author's Note:**

> Not long after watching the Kino restoration, I decided to give the final chase/fight sequence a little hypothetical dialogue, to perhaps look into mainly Rotwang and Maria's thoughts on their time in the cathedral. It's an older piece of mine, but I hope you enjoy it and my portrayal of the characters!

The bonfire raged and danced before Maria's eyes as she watched, frozen from her place behind the statue, the whoops and shrieks of the workers melding with the inferno blazing before them, her robotic doppelganger's high, cold laughter fading and dying in the night air, the strange, human exterior melting away to reveal the machine beneath. It was bizarre and frightening, to watch yourself be burned at the stake, cackling all the way, and she felt a shiver race up her spine as she stepped away from the shadow of the statue, feeling her stomach ache nervously.

 

A cold, leather hand appeared on her shoulder, and Maria whirled around, her sight focusing on the man, whose large, pale green eyes remained so intently focused on her. His hands were outstretched to her, as though he were to grab her at any second. Her skin began to crawl as he stepped closer to her, grinning a maddeningly, sickening rictus grin, seemingly frozen on his pale face. She slowly began to step away from him, and he followed, mimicking her slow steps as he whispered, hoarsely, " _Hel_..."

 

" _Doktor_ Rotwang..." she breathed nervously, eyes widening: Last she had seen him, he was a crumpled heap on the floor, having been knocked out by Joh Fredersen. Certainly, he had kidnapped her and used her likeness for the now-burning android tethered to the still-burning pyre, and that was hellish enough in its own right, but now, as she looked into his blank eyes and solid, strange grin, fear took over her, her heart rate picking up with every step.

 

"Hel..." he breathed again, some strange elation in his voice, arms still out as he repeated, " _My_...Hel. At last...I have come to take you home!"

 

Maria had no idea who Hel was, but in her heart of hearts, she _knew_ there was no convincing Rotwang that she was not this person, nor that she certainly didn't want to go home with him. One hand over her chest to calm her racing heart, the other out to perhaps stall him, she replied, slowly, " _Doktor_ Rotwang, please..."

 

"At last!" he cried, making her jump, startled. "At last...we can be together again! You and I, as it should have always been." He reached out and took her hand, the gloved, mechanical appendage stroking her rough, petite hand, and she felt her stomach lurch as a sort of glazed look came over his eyes, as he gazed at the tall, stone carvings and heavy wooden doors leading into the cathedral,  as he continued, "You have brought me here, _Meine Freude_...the sooner we wed, the sooner we bed, the sooner I can soothe this pounding in my head..."

 

That was it-Maria spun around and shoved open the door to the cathedral, breaking into a panicked run-something she'd found she'd been doing all day, it seemed. Glancing back in horror, she could see Rotwang pursuing her, arms out to catch her, his mad cackle echoing in the empty halls, reverberating back into her ears, blending with the pounding of her heart. Finding a flight of stairs, she hurried up them as best as she could, legs beginning to burn from this great exertion, and momentarily, they gave out, her lithe body falling against the wooden steps, and her breath quickened as Rotwang's heavy steps caught up with her, and soon, she felt his strong grip on her arms, feeling him struggling to lift her writhing figure up. She fought and squirmed in his hold, pushing wildly against his broad chest, as he decorated her arms, neck and cheeks with rapid, furious kisses, trying to kiss her lips, prevented only by her refusal to turn to face him.

 

"Hel, Hel!" he wailed, pushing her head against his chest, allowing her to listen to his own beating heart, roughly stroking her now-matted and tangled blonde locks as he whimpered, "How I have missed holding you in my arms! Feeling your hair between my fingers! Hearing your voice!" He brought her face back up to be kissed once more, practically smothering her in them, and she continued to struggle, unable to speak, other than cries of protest. More and more she twisted and turned in his embrace, skin shivering with goosebumps with every caress and kiss.

 

"No more will Joh Fredersen poison your mind against me," he gasped, voice slowing down, and Maria silently prayed that his grip would do the same. "No longer will he hold sway over you, _Meine Freude_ -from this night on, you will be **mine**! All mine!"

 

With one more burst of energy, Maria wrenched free from Rotwang's vice-like grip, and with renewed vigor, she scurried down a new room, a crafting room it seemed, passing half-finished sculptures of wax and clay, tools discarded across the flaking, wooden tables. Had the thought crossed her mind, she could have taken one of the carving knives and used it against her pursuer (who was now up and running once more, crying out _Hel! Hel!_ ), but all she could think of was fleeing, getting as far from Rotwang as she could.

 

Every step pounded against the ground as she exited the room and returned to the stairs, trying not to trip and fall again, and certainly struggling to ignore the returning burn in her legs, the sensation climbing up into her twisted stomach and to her lungs, which started to ache with every breath she took. She gasped for air, stopping, if only for a moment, before looking back, and seeing how close Rotwang was behind her: Still, that mad look remained focused on her, grinning wildly, in such a manner that Maria screamed as she had wanted to for so long, and when she did, she fell through the rotting wooden railing, and briefly plummeted down towards the shadows below.

 

" ** _HEL!_ ** " Rotwang screeched, panic sweeping him as he clutched his railing, but God be thanked, Maria had grabbed onto the long, rough rope tethered to the massive bell that hung above her. She swung and careened wildly, as she struggled to cling to the rope, the bell's deafening toll rolling down her shaking body and through the cathedral. She cried out, still swinging back and forth carelessly, before finally, Rotwang reached out and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, effectively pulling her away from the safety of the rope. The two fell back onto the stairs, and Maria screamed again, back in Rotwang's clutches.

 

"Hel, my Hel," he sighed with great relief, burying her flushed face into his chest once more in a wild embrace, firm hands then reaching down to grasp her face and bring it back up to look him in the eyes, his gaze a mixture of hellfire and dreamlike daze. She froze, whimpering wordlessly, and she felt tears begin to fall, which he roughly brushed away, saying, in what he must have thought was a soothing voice, "Don't cry, _Meine Freude_ , all is well! We are together again, and nothing can part us! It will be the two of us, and no one else!"

 

He then gave a broken, blackened smile, eyes gleaming as he corrected himself, saying, "Well, it will be you, and me, and our kinder, but other than that, there will be no others!"

 

" ** _K-Kinder_ **?" she finally cried out in horror, spine tingling in terror as he squeezed her hand, saying, "Yes, kinder! You always told me you wanted a large family, and I will give it to you! We will have kinder, many beautiful, brilliant kinder, as many as we can!"

 

Though her stomach was empty, Maria felt it lurch at the mere suggestion of even _sleeping_ with this madman, let alone bearing his children. She shuddered, and still he grinned joyously, grabbing her face and practically yanking it to his, crashing his lips into hers. She gave a muffled shriek of horror as she struggled to push him away, her mouth suddenly tasting of what she thought was motor oil and grease before she wrestled away and continued up the flight of stairs, leaping over many steps to get ahead, until finally, she made it to the rooftop. Scrambling, her legs beginning to wobble with all of this racing, she gave an alarming howl as Rotwang hurried for her, breathing hot and heavy in her ear. She shut her watering eyes as she ran, praying to God and all of his angels for help.

 

" _MARIA!_ "

 

"Freder?" she whispered, a glimmer of hope jumping into her, as she picked up the pace...

...only to find herself at a dead end.

 

Gasping in fear, she turned around, a deer in the headlights as Rotwang advanced slowly on her, his white, disheveled hair looking even worse for wear as he reached out, intent on getting his hands on her once more. She shut her eyes, feeling another terrified scream welling up inside of her, soon to be heard by all of Metropolis.

 

But instead, she came to hear the sounds of a struggle, and her eyes snapped open, only to see Rotwang and Freder, pushing and pulling and punching each other like alley cats, their fighting vicious, ungraceful. Paralyzed, Maria watched them struggle against the side of the cathedral, unsure of what to do, and soon, their voices filled her ears:

 

" _Joh Fredersen!_ " Rotwang raged, grabbing Freder's throat, struggling to strangle him. " _You will never take her from me again! Never again!_ "

"I-I'm not-!" Freder cried, hands attempting to grab at Rotwang's throat in return, straining his voice to reply, "I-I am not-Joh F-Fredersen!"

" _You are!_ " he roared, practically shaking Freder like a rag doll. " _Hel is mine, and mine alone! You will_ **_never_ ** _take her from me again!_ "

 

At that moment, Maria's foot knocked against a discarded stone, making a small noise, and she froze again, seizing up as Rotwang turned to face her, throwing Freder to the side as the Glasgow-like grin returned, and he moved for her, provoking her to cry out and push against him again. She felt her arms weaken, exhausted, as he slung her almost effortlessly over his shoulder, and he began to scale the slanted side of the cathedral by way of a nearby ladder. Stunned and weary, Maria's eyes fluttered, the sound around her almost seeming as though it was being drowned out, muffled, leaving her unsure of what was happening.

 

Suddenly, Maria slipped from Rotwang's hold, and she slid down the side of the cathedral's roof, only having enough foresight to grab the steel ladder Rotwang had been using moments before. Her assailant and Freder went sliding past her, landing back down on the lower roof below, and resuming their brawling. Maria gave a great cry of pain and exhaustion as she clung to the ladder, not watching Rotwang and Freder fight.

 

Soon, her fingers began to ache, and slowly, she let down, sliding down the paneling of the cathedral, and down to where she once stood. Shakily, she got to her feet, nervousness still pulsing through her veins, but this feeling was calmed when she looked up and saw not Rotwang, but Freder, smiling softly as he helped her up. Giving a cry of joy, she threw her arms around him, and he returned the embrace, tenderly cupping her bruised and tear-stricken face to kiss her cheeks soothingly, before finally kissing her lips, and hugging her close.

 

"You're alright, you're safe," he assured, and she felt a great weight being lifted off her shoulders at his words, finding comfort and safety in his arms, finding sanctuary in his hold.     

 


End file.
